Doctor, Doctor
by Vicious Pink
Summary: Phantasy Star II - Dr. Amy Sage meets three unusual visitors while she's a resident doctor in Oputa. When her hospital refuses to help the group, Amy takes matters into her own hands. This chance encounter will change her life forever.
1. Motavia Paralyzed

_ This is one of many stories I have planned about the details of how the characters in PSII really met. Did they all just show up at Rolf's house? How did they even know he was home? Are they all a bunch of weirdo stalkers? No! Whether it was by chance or fate, Rolf met his friends in the most interesting of circumstances. One would have to believe it was destiny that brought them all together._

_This is Amy's story. She is an eager doctor at Great Light Hospital in Oputa. Unfortunately, her days are mostly filled with boring paperwork, due to the inertia of Mother Brain's society. However, things are about to get a lot more interesting for this young doctor when a trio of strange travelers make a scene in the emergency room. This is chapter one of a two-part story._

* * *

It was another slow and quiet day at Oputa's Great Light Hospital. A young and enthusiastic doctor, Amy Sage, was busily tapping away at one of the hospital's database terminals in the patient records room. She would have preferred to attend to patients than do quality control in the database, something she had done three times that week already, but there had been only one ER visitor that day, an attempted suicide, and he was quickly whisked away to the psychiatric wing for close evaluation. She remembered what her combat medic brother had told her over a year ago as he encouraged her to choose a field other than trauma: _Just you wait, Amy. Mother Brain will eventually keep people from doing anything more strenuous than brushing their teeth! _His warning seemed ludicrous at the time, since there was no shortage of trouble with biomonsters, and accidents were happening left and right at all the planet's major control centers._  
_

Then it happened: A directive from Mother Brain put everyone on near lock-down. It was deemed too unsafe to travel outside the heavily fortified towns and cities. One would have thought the citizens would protest such an extreme measure, but decades earlier Mother Brain brought teleportation to Motavia, making travel the old fashioned way almost obsolete, anyway. It built robots so people wouldn't have to work. It even eradicated most of the disease within the Algo system, and controlled the weather and the crops grown on Motavia. With such a grand safety net, there was almost no compelling reason to leave the cities. The people of Motavia were idle but healthy, yet as much as Amy appreciated all that Mother Brain brought to Motavia, she worried that it could all unravel very easily. It had already happened in Arima when armed marauders disabled the city's control towers and laid havoc on its buildings and residents. Then, of course, there were the ongoing issues with Biosystems and Climatrol. Every day there were more reassuring messages from the network insisting that things were under control, arrests had been made, and things would return to normal shortly. Amy was doubtful about the messages, but she didn't see any way she could help the larger problems the planet seemed to be facing. She wouldn't allow herself to become apathetic like so much of the population already was, though. She was proud to be a doctor and would continue to do her job until she was replaced, even if it meant doing boring record entry and quality control every day.

Suddenly she heard commotion in the waiting area of the emergency room. She quickly locked her work terminal and hurried through the doors that connected the records room with the emergency room's reception area. At the main entrance she saw an enraged government agent with cobalt-blue hair in heavy armor leaning into the on-duty nurse across a counter. There was another armored man in a black suit--though he didn't appear to be in any government uniform she recognized--standing a few feet behind the agent, holding a limp body in his arms. His blond hair was cut into a severe military style, and she could make out a large shot gun slung over his back. Amy's heart beats quickened. _What's going on?_ she wondered.

"You can't refuse to treat someone!" the government agent exclaimed as he slammed his fists into the counter in exasperation. "She's been paralyzed by armor ants and the longer we stand here and argue, the more likely the paralysis will be permanent!"

"Sir, I-"

"Do you really want that on your conscience?" the agent continued forcefully, shoving a finger into the nurse's chest.

"Sir!" the nurse exclaimed, putting up his arms in defense. "We are not permitted by law to treat bioengineered humanoids. Mother Brain has declared that-"

The agent interrupted again, "Mother Brain?!" he snorted as he turned around in a huff to the man wearing black, "Mother Brain! Are you getting this? A blasted _computer_ is dictating medical care for _humans!_ Unbelievable!"

"Sir, if you'll let me continue," the nurse sighed, "we simply cannot administer aid to your... _friend_." He looked sideways at the victim's motionless body. "However, I would suggest seeking the veterinary services of-"

"_A vet?!_" the agent was incredulous. He grabbed the nurse's collar and pulled the hospital worker up to his face, so that the two were nose-to-nose. "Is this how Great Light treats all their visitors?" he snarled through his teeth.

The nurse gulped nervously, "I would really like to help you sir, but Mother-"

"Don't say it!" the agent interrupted, jerking the nurse by his collar, "Don't you _dare_ say it!"

"Rolf," the man in black interjected, "we're running out of time."

The agent let out an angry grunt and let go of the nurse. He put his hands on the counter and hung his head in defeat. Amy stood by in amazement. _This is horrible_, she thought. Why couldn't the hospital help?

"What's that you were saying about veterinary services again?" The agent asked in a low, dejected voice. The nurse began jotting down some information for the agent.

Amy took another moment to think. What did the nurse mean by "bioengineered humanoid"? The nurse handed a slip of paper to the agent, who yanked it out of his hand. Just then the man in black turned around and Amy finally had a better idea of what all the uproar was about. The victim had very long, pointy ears, unlike anything she had seen before. It startled her.

_OK, so she's not a human. But she- well, she's not a pet!_

Her mind raced. "You can't let this happen!" she scolded herself aloud. "That girl needs your help!" Amy stared at the nurse, who was already sitting down at a terminal, busily logging information into the hospital's database. _Has he no compassion?_ she wondered, frustrated. She tried not to be surprised by the lack of empathy on Motavia anymore. Amy didn't need to look at the crestfallen agent again before making her decision to help the paralyzed girl.

"Wait!" she called, pushing aside staffs members as she raced over to the group of strange visitors, "Sirs! Please!"

The agent and the man in black turned around. They saw the young doctor hurrying towards them. Once she reached the two men she took a small instrument out of one of the pockets of her hospital coat. With her other hand she went to open one of the girl's eyes, but the man in black pulled the victim away from her. The agent stepped between Amy and the man in black.

"Hey..." the agent said, grabbing the doctor's forearm, preventing her from touching the girl.

"I won't hurt her; I promise," she reassured him, hoping he could see the concern in her eyes and move past the distrust he now had for the hospital. The agent studied the doctor for a minute before making his next move. Finally, he grudgingly stepped aside.

"If you don't mind holding her head up," she instructed the man in black, "I need to check her pupils." He looked at Amy suspiciously. She couldn't tell for sure, but she thought he was eyeing her hospital badge. She was a little intimidated by him; he was much taller than her and quite brawny. Still, she needed to take care of the girl and there wasn't much time. "Please?" she pleaded sweetly.

The man in black tilted the girl's head up. Amy opened one of the girl's eyelids and looked at her eye through the instrument she had in her hand. She was relieved at what she saw.

_This is encouraging. She's human enough!  
_

She took her hand away from the girl and addressed the two men, "I can help you, but..."

Amy suddenly stopped and cautiously looked around the waiting area. _Too many eyes here_, she thought to herself.

"Let's go outside," she said, motioning for the two men to leave the building with her. She escorted them to a small gazebo in the hospital's court yard.

The man in black placed the girl gently onto the gazebo bench and Amy knelt down next to her. "I'm going to ask you both to stand back. Please don't be alarmed by what I'm about to do," she addressed them, composed.

The two men looked at each other in bewilderment, but complied with her request. Amy placed a hand on the girl's upper chest. A small glow emitted from her hand and penetrated the girl's chest, which also began to glow. The startled agent tried to take a step forward, but was cut off by the man in black.

"Wait, Rolf," he intervened.

A few seconds later the light from the girl's chest had dispelled, and she let out a faint moan.

"Nei!" exclaimed the agent, diving over to the girl and putting his hands on either side of her face. He saw her eyes flicker and open slowly, but she was still limp and unresponsive. "Is she going to be all right?" he asked very seriously.

Amy stood up and smoothed her bright yellow dress. She assured the men, "Your friend will be stable for the next few hours, but I'll need to perform a more complete treatment on her if she's going to have a full recovery." She looked up at the giant clock on the side of the hospital's south wall. _I'll be off in two hours_, she thought. _They can stay at my house until then_.

"Doctor, I-" the agent started, but Amy put a hand up in interruption.

"I wish I had more time to explain, but they're going to wonder where I've gone..." she stared back mindfully at the entrance. "I want you to go to this address," she handed the man in black her Motavian ID card.

"This is your own home?" he asked, puzzled.

"Yes," she quickly answered, holding out her keycard. "I have to work for two more hours, but we can't leave... Nei? Is that her name? We can't leave her in the hospital gazebo without rousing suspicion from the patrolling whistlers. I don't mind if you stay at my place until I'm done working."

The man in black hesitated. "I've seen a lot of traps in my time. Is there a reason why you're helping us?"

"I'm a doctor," Amy said indignantly. "What would you prefer me to do? Would you like for me to call the vet-"

"All right," the agent groaned, "we'll be there." He turned his attention to the girl on the bench and softly spoke her name. The man in black took her keycard.

"Good," Amy said with a nod as she exited the gazebo.

The man in black called to her, "Dr. Sage?"

_He did read my badge_, she thought. She turned around and looked at him.

"Thank you," he said sincerely.

She smiled. She glanced over at the agent, who was gently stroking the girl's hair; he wasn't even paying attention to Amy's exchange with the man in black. She saw how worried he was for his traveling companion. Amy knew she was doing the right thing, and it felt good to be able to help someone for a change.

"You're welcome," she replied as she swiftly walked towards the building. "See you in two hours."

* * *

Rudo folded his arms in front of his chest and watched the petite doctor with scarlet hair disappear into the hospital. It had been a long time since he had seen a total stranger show any kind of concern for the welfare of others. _It is her job_, he thought to himself, _but these days even doctors listen to Mother Brain over what's in their own hearts_.

Rolf was skeptical. "I don't understand her motivations, and I don't know if this is the best plan," doubted Rolf as he gently scooped Nei into his arms, "Should we really trust her?"

"If you're not happy with the alternative, then I don't think we have a choice," Rudo answered plainly. He looked at the doctor's ID he had been entrusted with. 'Amy Catherine Sage,' it read. _If this is real, then she certainly trusts us_, he thought. He read more: 'Date of birth: 26 APR 1261. Height: 158 cm. Hair: Red. Eyes: Blue. Address...'

He took the navigation device off his utility belt and entered the doctor's address into the system. Her house was only half a mile from the hospital. As the directions flashed across the screen, Rudo waved his hand for Rolf to follow him. With nothing to lose, they embarked to the doctor's residence.


	2. A Healing Hand

"It's been over three hours now," Rolf remarked, anxious about the time. "I think we should pack up and leave."

Rudo was looking out one of the front windows of Dr. Sage's house, where the group had been invited to stay and wait for the doctor to return from her work day. He tapped his fingers on the windowsill as he thought about their earlier encounter at the hospital. She had been so willing to help, to go the extra mile, but where was she now? The doctor had told Rolf and Rudo that she would be off in two hours. It had only taken Rolf's group 10 minutes to walk from the hospital to Amy's house, and the two men even had to take turns carrying an unconscious Nei.

"Perhaps she was held up. She works in the ER, after all. That has to be pretty unpredictable," Rudo mused.

"It looked slow to me," Rolf argued. "Did you see the way she was so eager to help Nei? It was like she hadn't done her job in days."

"Which is why I think we should continue to wait for her," Rudo simply stated. He was tired of arguing with Rolf. It was understandable that Rolf was protective of Nei, but now that his group had finally met someone who genuinely wanted to help them, Rolf was still suspicious. Rudo knew they could use all the help they could get, so he wasn't about to give up on the doctor. He turned back to the living room and glanced at Rolf.

"How's Nei?" he asked.

Rolf sighed as he looked down the hallway to the bedroom where he had put Nei. He had grown so close to Nei over the past year that he now considered her a sister. Up until he had been tasked by the Commander to investigate the biomonster outbreak, Rolf had kept Nei at his house where she would be safe from the discrimination of a population wary of anything that remotely resembled a biomonster, and from hunters looking to make a bounty off capturing or killing her. There were times when he regretted not being able to show her more of the world, but after the recent incident with her paralysis he realized how powerless he was to help her in these more difficult situations. What were the odds they'd encounter poisonous biomonsters again? Pretty high, he thought.

"She's awake now, at least," Rolf replied to Rudo's inquiry. "She's not talking, though."

"So she's still improving?"

"It looks to be that way."

"Great," Rudo said as he slung his shotgun over his shoulder and headed for the door. "I'm going to look for the doctor."

Rolf got up and stared at Rudo in shock. "You can't just leave! That's probably what they want us to do: split up so they can take Nei more easily!"

"Kid, I don't know who 'they' are, but relax, okay?" Rudo griped as he hit the button to open the door. "I have my phone; just call if something happens. I'm only going to the hospital. If she's not there then I'll come back and we'll leave." He exited the home without waiting for a reply from Rolf. Within seconds, though, the door opened again.

"Aaand, I found her," Rudo said casually as he stood in the doorway. "She's dragging along a lot of heavy equipment, which could explain the tardiness. I'm going to help her; I'll be right back." He left the door open as he went to the doctor's aid. Rolf followed suit. Outside Amy was struggling with a dolly stacked high with metal and plastic boxes. She was drenched in sweat and her neck and face were flush from exertion. The men quickly took the cart from her and effortlessly hauled it up the steps to her home.

"You made that look easy!" A breathless Amy gasped as she made it into the house behind Rolf and Rudo. She took off her white shawl and let it fall to the floor in the entryway. "I'm sorry I'm so late," she addressed the men as she pushed her damp hair out of her face, "but you won't believe the red tape I had to go through to get you this equipment."

Rolf looked the supplies over, dumbfounded it was all for his group. "This is for us?" he asked.

"Yes, most of it. In fact, where's Nei? I need to get her set up as soon as possible," Amy answered, not wanting to waste any time in her treatment of the numan.

"She's in one of the bedrooms back there. I hope that's all right," Rolf said as he pointed down the hallway.

"Of course!" Amy reassured Rolf. "I should have told you to do that, anyway. Sorry, I was really in a rush at the hospital and wanted to get Nei somewhere safe. Oh, and speaking of being rushed, let me introduce myself properly. I'm Dr. Amy Sage, as I'm sure you know by now from my ID card, but no need for formalities here." She smiled at the men. "You can call me Amy, and I think I heard your name was Rolf?" she asked as she stretched out her hand.

Rolf shook it and gave her a quick nod. "Yes, Rolf Landale. Nice to meet you. This is Rudolf Steiner," he introduced the tall hunter standing next to him.

Rudo also shook her hand. "I go by Rudo, and thanks for your help, Doctor."

"Happy to help, Rudo. Would you and Rolf mind taking this cart back to where Nei is resting?" Amy requested. "I need to get out of these boots. They're _killing_ me."

Rudo eyed her boots. "Yes, they do look pretty impractical for someone who's on their feet all day long."

Amy sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's the hospital uniform. I have no idea who came up with it, but obviously not someone who cares about the comfort of the female employees. They'd rather we look like go-go dancers than trained professionals, apparently," Amy joked as she playfully shook her hips, making fun of her own appearance. The men laughed as they pushed the cart down the hall.

While the two men hauled the medical equipment off to the bedroom, Amy leaned an arm against the wall for support as she unzipped the back of one of her work boots. She exhaled and wiped her brow along the forearm resting on the wall. Rolf and Rudo had halted their progress towards the bedroom to stare at the young doctor, who was unaware she was providing them with quite the provocative show. Amy glanced at her onlookers and blushed. She pushed away from the wall and crossed her arms self-consciously in front of her chest.

"I, um, I'll be there in a minute," she told the men bashfully as she stared at the ground. Rolf and Rudo eyed each other and then continued to Nei's bedroom. Amy quickly stepped into her house slippers, washed her hands in the kitchen, and then caught up with the men, brushing off the prior incident.

She was happy to see that Nei was awake and had regained some of her mobility. Amy began setting up monitors and an IV, though Nei whimpered and resisted as much as she could. Amy remained calm, comforting Nei and talking to her tenderly like a mother with her child. It was the first time Rolf had seen Nei trust anyone other than himself and Rudo.

After everything was set up, Amy asked Rolf a series of questions about Nei's history, most of which he couldn't answer, but he watched as the doctor methodically wrote down his answers in a notebook. The more questions Amy asked the more Rolf realized how unprepared his group was medically for the dangers that lay ahead. Just then Amy closed her notebook and set it on the nightstand next to Nei.

"Shall we go back into the living room?" she asked, motioning for Rolf and Rudo to exit the bedroom. As she followed the men out of the room, she turned around and gave Nei a sympathetic smile. "You're going to be fine here, Nei. I won't let you leave until you're fully recovered." Nei smiled back faintly and shut her eyes. Amy let the bedroom door slide shut carefully and quietly.

"It's getting late. Would you all like anything to drink or eat?" Amy asked as the three of them entered the living room. The men hesitated and stammered, not used to such hospitality. Amy laughed. "I'll make us some tea," she offered, heading to the nearby kitchen. "Make yourselves at home," she called back to them. She put the kettle on the stove and went back to living room, plopping herself into a chair and letting out an exhausted sigh.

"Normally I'd say something to myself like 'long day,' but I can only imagine the day you all must have had. Any reason why a government agent, a hunter and... Nei..." Amy paused, not sure what to call Nei. "Anyway, why were you outside city limits?"

Rolf and Rudo glanced around the room and remained tight-lipped. Amy sat up and looked at them seriously, then countered their silence with something she knew would catch their attention.

"Your Commander wouldn't tell me what was going on, either. It must be something pretty important," she told them.

"You contacted the Commander?" Rolf shouted as he jumped out of his chair. "Do you realize what you did? You've compromised our mission!" Rolf continued to bark as he moved closer to Amy. Rudo stood up and tried to talk Rolf into sitting down again.

"Wait, please let me explain!" Amy begged Rolf. "I heard Rudo say your name a few times back at the hospital. Because of your uniform, I figured you must be an agent. Fortunately for you... or me... or maybe both of us, a quick look into Motavia's medical archives told me that you're the only agent with the given name Rolf. Since there was a good chance you were on official duty, I called the Commander directly, bypassing the network. Luckily hospitals have that privilege in case of emergency. I haven't compromised anything, Rolf. In fact, your Commander was the one who authorized me to bring you the medical supplies and equipment. You'll be able to take a lot of it with you after you leave here."

Shocked by what he heard, Rolf sat down hard in his chair and rubbed his temples. "I... I don't know what to say, Doctor, except... thank you," he told her in disbelief. "It's so hard for me to consider _anyone _would want to help us." He eyed her suspiciously.

Amy looked away and bit her bottom lip. She was afraid if she told them why she was helping them, other than because she was a doctor doing her job, she would come off as slightly crazy. She didn't need to say anything, though, because at that moment the kettle whistled and she made her way to the kitchen to prepare their tea. She could hear Rolf and Rudo talking softly to each other back in the living room; she wondered if they were talking about her. She quickly poured the tea and placed the mugs along with some fruit on a tray and exited the kitchen.

"Help yourselves," she said with a smile to the two men, setting the tray on the coffee table. "Fruit is all I have ready at the moment, but I insist you two stay for dinner. The Commander said you've been gone for two months now; I'm guessing it's been a while since you've had a nice, home-cooked meal?"

"Too long, Doctor; that sounds excellent," Rudo immediately accepted Amy's invitation, patting his belly. Amy laughed. She turned to Rudo's blue-haired companion.

"Rolf?" she said his name, waiting for a response. Rolf still looked dazed from everything that had just transpired.

"Huh? Oh, sure. Thanks," Rolf halfheartedly replied to Amy, staring off behind her at nothing in particular. She had seen this look many times before, when people were waiting for news about their loved ones in the hospital. It was a look of having a million thoughts at once; it was what people did to keep themselves from thinking about the worst possible outcome. Amy walked over to him and crouched down to where she could look him in the eyes.

"She's going to be fine," Amy reassured him, "as long as you let me observe her overnight. You can stay with her here if you want to." Rolf returned her gaze, staring at her intensely with a furrowed brow.

"I want to know why you're doing all of this. _Now_," Rolf demanded. Amy was taken aback, but had been preparing herself for this inevitable moment.

"Rolf, I've had it with this!" Rudo suddenly challenged Rolf. "Believe it or not, there are genuinely good people left in this world, and she happens to be one of them!" He argued aggressively, pointing at the doctor. Rolf got up, nearly knocking over Amy as he got in Rudo's face.

"Stop! Please!" Amy interjected before Rolf could say anything. The two men turned to her. "I haven't been able to truly help anyone since I..." she hesitated, thinking of her old home and the incident in Wood Town, "...moved to Oputa."

There were now looks of confusion between the two men.

Amy collected herself, took in a deep breath and exhaled. "I used to live and work in River Town."

"_What?_" Rolf was surprised. "The town that was demolished by biomonsters? Were you there...?"

"My home was destroyed," Amy replied as she nodded. "I left the hospital that day to deliver medicine to another town with biomonster problems. Little did I know that the biomonster problem happened to be in the form of kite devils. They almost destroyed Wood Town, and of course, they leveled all of River Town. I hear Kueri is completely under domes now because of the problems with winged biomonsters." She took in another breath and as she let it out she angrily hissed, "I hate those things."

"Their mobility is impressive," Rudo agreed. "They also have some of the fiercest attacks among the biomonster population."

"Wait a minute," Rolf stepped forward, towards the doctor. "I know who you are! You received a citation from the Commander, didn't you? You saved a hospital!"

Amy showed her modesty and nervously rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, yes, but I had help. I couldn't have faced that monster alone," she said humbly, uncomfortable with the spotlight being on her. The two men could only stare at her in astonishment.

"So you're helping us because... you hate biomonsters?" Rudo asked her, still puzzled.

"I hate them, or I should say I hate whatever is creating them, but I'm helping you because I'm frustrated with the virtual prison I'm stuck in every day," Amy responded. "I saw what happened in River Town and I know about Arima; I don't feel safer just because I'm in lock-down in Oputa." Her voice grew as she spoke, as did her passion. "I've basically done nothing since coming to this city. No one goes out anymore except hunters and guardians, and since they're only in it for the money, they head straight to Kueri and Piata. The emergency room is empty almost every day, and yet, when people like yourselves come in for an emergency, you're refused! I don't understand this world anymore!" She put a hand on her forehead. She faced both men and with all seriousness told them, "I _owe _it to you both, and Nei, for attempting to find real solutions to our world's problems. It's like everyone else on this planet is just sitting around waiting to die."

Rolf and Rudo were impressed with her words, and Rolf was at last satisfied with Amy's reasons for reaching out to his group, particularly Nei.

"I'm sorry, Doctor," he apologized sincerely. "I've been a jerk and you deserve better. Thank you so much for helping us."

Amy felt a sense of relief after finally receiving Rolf's approval. "You're welcome. I'm just glad I could do some... wait!" she stopped herself mid-sentence, remembering the medical supplies. "I almost forgot!" She darted off to retrieve the items that were in the bedroom with Nei. As she made her way back into the living room, her arms were precariously full of medical kits just the right size for carrying on long trips. She let the items fall out of her arms onto the sofa; the men gathered around for a better look.

"You'll need these if you're going to the Biosystems Lab," she told them, putting her hands on her hips as she looked over the pile on the sofa.

"How did you..." Rolf began.

"Give me some credit," Amy interrupted, eyeing the blue-haired agent. "Why else would you come this way? To listen to Ustvestia?"

Rudo laughed. "She's good, Rolf."

"Anyway, I have two medical kits for each of you, including Nei," Amy explained to the men. "The blue ones are for poison and the red ones are for general wounds. I'll show you how to administer the antivenins in a minute, but I also want to give you a list of supplies useful for your journey." She handed Rolf a list she had made and went over each item she had written down. "There's a pharmacy and tool shop two blocks from my house. Now, don't bother with monomates. They're not going to be strong enough to handle what's coming out of Biosystems these days. Dimates are a little more expensive, but trust me; they're worth it."

Rolf and Rudo started picking up the kits and examining them.

"Oh! One more thing," Amy continued. "The banking systems are completely down right now in Oputa. You won't be able to wire funds to your accounts here, at least not for a few days." She reached into the small pouch attached to her belt and pulled out a wad of cash. "Will you need some meseta?" she asked as she held out the money.

The two men looked at each other knowingly; Rolf seemed to ask Rudo an unspoken question and Rudo returned it with a nod. Rolf turned to Amy and pushed her arm down in polite refusal.

"No. What we really need," Rolf replied as he put his arm around Amy, "is a doctor."


End file.
